


at least

by Anxiety_Elemental



Series: McGenji Week 2019 [5]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Fall of Overwatch, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-26
Updated: 2019-07-26
Packaged: 2020-07-09 11:22:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19886779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anxiety_Elemental/pseuds/Anxiety_Elemental
Summary: Overwatch is dying.Prompt: A sticky situation





	at least

**Author's Note:**

> :'(
> 
> Content warnings include the threat of violence, and depression.

Overwatch is dying.

Ana is dead. Reyes is a stranger, and Morrison is barely holding the whole thing together. Everyone beneath them is feeling the strain, and what was once the strongest force on the planet is held together with fraying twine and desperation. All it is now is waiting for the other shoe to drop, wondering what disaster will finally bring the whole thing crashing down.

And Jesse ain’t going to stick around to see what that will be.

The problem is it’s a little more difficult than just walking out the door. Overwatch might be rotting from the inside out, but the bases are still filled with top of the line technology, including security systems.

It’s a sticky situation, but if he don’t get out now it’ll turn into quicksand, and he’ll drown with the rest.

He don’t have access to the base’s security systems, so he has to scout like he would for a mission. (It’s a bitter, ugly thought. Like he’s turning on Overwatch, betraying the people who’ve given him so much, but what else is he supposed to do?) It takes a couple of weeks, carefully noting where the cameras are, guard routes, and the like.

He packs up his life in secret, and when he leaves he tries to not think about it too much. Blackwatch agents are not allowed to leave the base while the organization is under review, but he thinks he’s found a route he can take where he’ll go unnoticed.

Jesse’s stopped halfway through, when a figure steps out to block his way.

It must be Genji, he recognizes the swords strapped to his back. His armor is completely different, silver and green and completely covering his body and face. He has one hand on the hilt of his wakizashi.

“Reyes knows you are trying to leave,” Genji says, voice neutral and emotionless, “He has not set off any alarms because he does not know what you will do if you panic,” he adjusts his grip on the hilt of his sword, “He sent me to stop you.”

Jesse feels the blood in his veins freeze, and he thinks of the prison cell that was always waiting for him. “Overwatch ain’t gonna last,” he says, voice more desperate than he wants it to sound, “It’s been one scandal after another and Ana is dead and I don’t recognize Reyes anymore and - ”

“You misunderstand,” Genji says, “I want to go with you.”

“What?”

“I want to go with you,” Genji says again, letting go of his sword, “There is nothing left for me here.” He points down another hallway, “Reyes is expecting you to go this way, but I have scouted another way that I do not think he is aware of. Follow me.”

Genji runs in the opposite direction, and Jesse shakes away the shock and runs after him.

He don’t need to be told twice.

\---

A few days later, sitting together on the bed in a motel room, they watch the other shoe drop on an ancient holo-projector.

Jesse only takes in about half of what the reporter is saying. The footage on loop is enough.

The base they’d just run away from is rubble.

Morrison is dead.

Reyes is dead.

Overwatch is dust.

Jesse glances over at Genji, still staring at the holoscreen. Before he could at least guess what Genji’s thinking, his eyes were always expressive, but now with his face completely covered, and his body language kept carefully neutral, he’s nearly impossible to read. He has no way of knowing what Genji’s thinking.

“What will you do now?” Genji asks, still facing the holoscreen.

“...Thinking about going back to the states,” Jesse says. It’s something he’s been thinking about for a while, but never had a chance to ask Reyes for clearance. Deadlock never really died, course not, even if he got busted he knew Ashe was never one to go down without a fight.

“Why?” Genji asks.

Jesse shrugs, and falls back onto the bed to stare up at the plain white ceiling. “Why else,” he says, “Unfinished business and unhappy history.”

The silence is heavy, the only sound the chatter from the news, distant sounds of cars and life beyond. Like the world hasn’t fallen apart.

“What about you?” Jesse asks, looking over at Genji, “Where you thinking?”

“I do not know,” he says, head hung, “Anywhere but here. Or home.”

He’s never seen Genji like this. All the fire, the anger, just gone. Only exhaustion and ashes left. He’s not the playful, mischievous young man from the bar in Hanamura he was asked to spy on. Not the angry, bitter cyborg he had to make nice with. Just a husk.

Jesse hates it.

“You could come with me,” he says, and immediately feels like he’s made a mistake. He’s not sure why.

“I...” Genji trails off.

“You don’t gotta,” Jesse says quickly, “Just wanted to throw that out there.”

Genji doesn’t say anything.

“I got an idea,” Jesse says, sitting up again and grabbing his bag.

They’d tossed most of their Overwatch gear before they left the base. Overwatch keeps close track of its assets, including their agents. Neither of them knew what could have trackers in them, including their bodies, but they shed as much as they could. Who knows who will come after them now that Overwatch is in ruins.

The only things they’d kept were the things they knew they could not replace: their weapons, and two comms. They’re simple radio transmitters, audio only. They’re primitive devices, but their transmission are encrypted, about the safest way they would have to stay in touch if they were to get separated. That was the plan when they took them, anyway.

“Will you at least hang onto this?” Jesse asks, passing Genji’s comms to him, “If we’re gonna go our separate ways, I’d still like a way to check in.”

Genji takes the comms, turning the small device over in his hands, “Okay,” he says.

\---

Jesse always always did have trouble sleeping.

They agreed they would spend the night at the motel, they would need the rest if they were to run, with no safe haven left for them. The only room for two had a double bed but that was fine, they’d had worse sleeping accommodations before, and they were both professionals. But the bed is stiff and the sheets are scratchy, he’d only been able to doze at best. Part of him is still tense, waiting for the sound of sirens, or quiet footsteps in the room, waiting for someone with ill intent to find them.

Jesse rolls over in bed, restless and anxious, and sees Genji laying still next to him.

Genji’s lights are still off, the faint lights filtering through the blinds to shine off his armor.He wonders, not for the first time, if Genji can even take the mask off. What’s happened to the only part of his face Jesse’s ever had the privilege to see.

Closed off. Like he’s already gone.

Jesse wants a lot of things in this moment. He wants to go home, but home doesn’t exist anymore. He wants Reyes, but there’s only ash and smoke left. He wants to reach out and touch, run his fingers along the smooth metal, an impulse he doesn’t know how to handle.

He can’t stand it.

As quietly as he can, years of stealth ops experience at his disposal, he slips out of bed and disappears into the night.

\---

He’s stowed away on a train when he hears a quiet beep.

Jesse quickly digs through his go-bag. He’s wedged between two train cars where he hopefully won’t be spotted.

It’s the Overwatch comms, there’s a little blinking yellow light, someone is trying to connect.

He clicks the comms on, and put it in his ear.

_“You left,”_ said Genji’s voice, full of static and damped by the air rushing by. It’s not an accusation, just an observation. It still feels like an accusation, the words sitting like lead weighs on his shoulders.

“Don’t like long goodbyes,” Jesse says, and it’s at least half the truth. He’s nearly shouting so his voice will be heard over the wind.

It’s quite on the other end of the line, and that silence becomes a weight on Jesse’s chest, pressing down as if trying to break his bones.

“Where are you now?” Jesse asks.

_“Not sure,”_ Genji says, apparently unbothered by this, _“Just picked a direction and started walking.”_

“Well,” Jesse says, ignoring the tight ball of worry in his chest, “Keep me posted, okay?”

_“...Okay,”_ Genji says, tonelessly.

“I mean it,” Jesse says, then, biting back his pride, “Please?”

_“...Okay,”_ Genji says again. The comms beeps again, and the light switches off.


End file.
